1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a railing extension device for supporting various articles, and more specifically to a device that mounts to a railing and can support various items, including but not limited to a beverage cooler, trash can, a cooler, an electric grill, a glass surface for containing serving dishes and glasses, plants and/or an herb garden.
2. Description of Related Art
Decks, balconies and patios are prevalent in homes and restaurants and often contain a railing system of sorts to assist in providing a safety measure and barrier for occupants as decks, balconies and patios are often above ground level and/or may be near hazards such as water. Most decks, balconies and patios contain tables and chairs in order to provide places for people to eat and put their beverage glasses. The addition of tables and chairs often limits the amount of space available for people to stand and/or walk around on. Due to this, occupants often place plates and glasses on railings. These can easily be knocked off or slide off as the surface of the railing is not even due to warping or in the case of balconies the railing may only be one inch wide and therefore not useable for holding items.
To meet the problem of providing additional surface space for decks and patios, a frame and strap system has been developed which can quickly attach to any shape or size railing and may extend outward away from and/or inward on the deck, balcony or patio. The frame can be made of various durable materials, including but not limited to wood (including teak), aluminum, wrought iron, stainless steel, titanium, or a polymer/plastic material. The device has a rectangular frame shape, but could be square, circular, triangular or any polygonal shape if desired. In addition, the device can have one or more points of contact between the railing and the proximal portion of the frame for attachment of the device. One benefit of the device is its ability to adjust and attach to various shaped railings and various sized railings. The device also contains another member which is an additional point of contact from the frame to the floor/base of the deck, balcony or patio. This member is angled from the most external/distal portion of the frame to the base/floor. This member can be telescoping and can be attached to the frame via a hinge in order to allow for it to fold up and minimize space of the device when not in use. This member or leg could also occur on both sides of the device, with the second member/leg contacting the bottom horizontal brace of the railing or balcony.
Therefore, a need exists for a lightweight device that can quickly, easily and releasably attach to a railing, fence or the like, to provide additional surface area and/or additional display area for occupants to place various items including but not limited to food items or glasses.